January 6th legal proceedings and investigations megathread

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Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes sentenced to 18 years in prison for plot to keep Trump in power

Stewart Rhodes, the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison on Thursday for leading a far-reaching plot to keep then-President Donald Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election.

The sentence is the first handed down in over a decade for seditious conspiracy.

“A seditious conspiracy, when you take those two concepts and put it together, is among the most serious crimes an American can commit,” said District Judge Amit Mehta. “It is an offense against the government to use force. It is an offense against the people of our country.”

Mehta on Thursday previously ruled that Rhodes’ actions amounted to domestic terrorism.

“He was the one giving the orders,” Mehta said. “He was the one organizing the teams that day. He was the reason they were in fact in Washington DC. Oath Keepers wouldn’t have been there but for Stewart Rhodes, I don’t think anyone contends otherwise. He was the one who gave the order to go, and they went.”

https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/25/politics/oath-keepers-sentencing-stewart-rhodes-kelly-meggs/index.html

18 years cause homeboy went on a selfie tour through the capitol which is normally open to the public but he went on the wrong day

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https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/william-barr-former-attorney-general-face-the-nation-transcript-06-18-2023/

Bill Barr offered some thoughts today on CBS news, eviscerating Trump. He spoke mostly of the documents case, but he also mentioned the Jan 6th probe

He basically thinks an  indictment will happen, likely this summer; but he feels a conviction is unlikely. He says there are 1st amendment issues that will likely protect Trump

. He admits he doesn’t know a lot about the GA case. But he thinks 1st Amendment will protect Trump there too

But the documents case is very bad for Trump, Barr says

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How does the 1st Amendment protect Trump from January 6th 2021?

ROBERT COSTA: Why are you skeptical?

FMR. ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR: Again, because of the First Amendment interests. You know, we don't want to get into a position where people can't complain about an election, and claim that an election--

[CROSSTALK]

ROBERT COSTA: Trump said on tape he wants the Secretary of State to find votes.

FMR. ATTORNEY GENERAL BARR: Yeah, I know. But, you know, there's- they're innocent interpretations of what he said, you know, which is, look, of all the votes that we think are bad. you certainly can find among them some that are slam dunk, but whether that's the proper interpretation or not, I- I am more skeptical of that case. But on the other hand, I think it's likely that will be brought.

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DeSantis on CNN

First question: “if Jack smith has evidence that Trump committed a crime, should Smith bring those charges”

Then Desantis starts talking about Alvin Bragg. He goes on and on without ever giving an answer to the question (and he was asked twice). I’m becoming more understanding of how DeSantis’ campaign has been going downhill

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On the 16-person Michigan fake-elector charge:

 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/michigan-attorney-general-charges-false-electors-efforts-overturn-2020-rcna94838

Michele Lundgren, who was also charged, previously told local television station WDIV that she thought she was signing an attendance sheet for a meeting.

"I didn't even know what an elector was, let alone a fake elector," she told the station.

^^ the classic "I'm a moron!" defense.

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Indictment

https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149/gov.uscourts.dcd.258149.1.0_1.pdf

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if there's an issue with the judge, he has means to file motions for her to recuse

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What a weak reply by DeSantis

Ramaswamy was on Fox just minutes ago. He cited a Court case that indicated that candidates are allowed to lie (which should protect Trump’s dishonesty during 2020), he says a president shouldn’t be indicted on novel theories, and he cites DOJ’s response to his FOIL result to argue that the DOJ should be mistrusted

Unlike DeSantis, Ramaswamy and Pence have at least given decent responses to the indictment … how can DeSantis just admit outright that he didn’t read the indictment

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Yes. Jack Smith would not bring any charges he couldn't prove, and the jury and judge will not be sympathetic to the defendant. He's screwed.

I did not know Jack Smith has never brought charges he couldn’t prove

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/3773758-trump-special-counsel-jack-smith-lost-the-john-edwards-case-what-might-that-mean/

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The Department of Justice has a 92% conviction rate. I'm sure Trump will definitely be in that outstanding 8% with his killer legal skills and command of persuasive evidence.

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I think it is reasonable to assume that the possibility was there that Edwards did not know that paying hush money was a campaign finance violation (e.g., it is not intuitively obvious to me that such a payment is a campaign finance violation). It is not reasonable to believe that Trump really believed he won the election because the vote count was inaccurate. Only an insane person would believe that, and while Trump has mental issues, he is not legally insane. So that line of defense is not going to fly with the jury or the higher courts on appeal. His lawyers are going to have to do better than that.

Trump knew he lost. He just didn't think it was illegal to lie and say he won

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https://nypost.com/2023/08/02/trump-could-have-mug-shot-taken-if-indicted-in-georgia-well-be-ready/

A sheriff in Georgia said former President Donald Trump will likely have his mug shot taken if he is hit with a fourth indictment in that state.

...

If the 77-year-old Trump does have his mug shot taken, that image will be subject to open records requests, Labat noted.

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https://nypost.com/2023/08/02/william-barr-reacts-to-latest-trump-indictment-legitimate-case/

Bill Barr

“They’re not attacking his first amendment rights, he can say whatever he wants he can even lie and tell people the election was stolen when he knew better, but that does not protect you from entering into a conspiracy. All conspiracies involve speech and all fraud involves speech,” he said. “Free speech does not give you the right for fraudulent conspiracy.”
…
“And for him to be attacking a prosecutor who is investigating that with all the epithets and so forth, which he has no basis for, as far as I can tell, is ridiculous“

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I doubt Trump would be in the courtroom though; he'd probably get a waiver to be in the field campainging during trial

Donald Trump's attorney called for the upcoming January 6 trial against the former president to be televised, arguing Americans deserve to see the proceedings.

Attorney John Lauro made the argument during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday" with host Shannon Bream. Lauro argued that prosecutors and President Biden's administration as a whole are seeking to withhold information from the public by sticking to the tradition of not having cameras in federal courtrooms.

"Would you be OK – would the president support – a televised trial?" Bream asked. "It would have to go through all sorts of hoops and rule changes and those kinds of things, but let the American people see every minute of it and decide for themselves."

"I personally would love to see that," Lauro responded. "I'm convinced the Biden administration does not want the American people to see the truth. They acted on it by filing this protective order, which is an effort to keep important information about this case from the press."

"I'm shocked, actually, that all the networks haven't lined up and filed pleadings already objecting to this very broad attempt by the Biden administration to keep information away from the American people," he added.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-attorney-calls-jan-6-151848412.html

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https://twitter.com/julie_kelly2/status/1689349373539315713

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https://nypost.com/2023/08/26/judge-in-trump-jan-6-case-is-scion-of-marxists/

The judge assigned to [Trump’s Jan 6th case] is the scion of a family of revolutionary Marxists in her native Jamaica.

Judge Tanya S. Chutkan … is the granddaughter of Frank Hill, a Jamaican communist revolutionary, who along with his brother Ken were briefly jailed by the island’s British governor during World War II over suspicions of “subversive activities.”

Hill is the father of Noelle Hill, Judge Chutkan’s mother, public records show.

Frank, along with his brother Ken Hill, and fellow comrades Richard Hart and Arthur Henry, were expelled from the People’s National Party of Jamaica for espousing communist views, according to local Jamaican media.

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https://nypost.com/2023/08/26/judge-in-trump-jan-6-case-is-scion-of-marxists/

The judge assigned to [Trump’s Jan 6th case] is the scion of a family of revolutionary Marxists in her native Jamaica.

Judge Tanya S. Chutkan … is the granddaughter of Frank Hill, a Jamaican communist revolutionary, who along with his brother Ken were briefly jailed by the island’s British governor during World War II over suspicions of “subversive activities.”

Hill is the father of Noelle Hill, Judge Chutkan’s mother, public records show.

Frank, along with his brother Ken Hill, and fellow comrades Richard Hart and Arthur Henry, were expelled from the People’s National Party of Jamaica for espousing communist views, according to local Jamaican media.

So what?

1). she is the judge assigned to the case (but please, correct me if I err)

2) The judge handling the case has communist background, which points to potential bias (especially in light of her other troublesome comments, such as her support for riots in 2020)

3). BRB - Potential bias in the overseeing judge = “So what?” … convict by any means necessary is your motto

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https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/supreme-court-rules-against-special-counsel-will-not-expedite-trump-immunity-clash

Lmao deranged Jack Smith got wrecked HARD.

This probably means Trump will not be tried in 2024 srs because it will get tied up in the lower appeals courts. The only other way they can stop him is the ballot access suits, and this decision indicates SCOTUS is not eager to interfere with democracy. Das it mane.

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Here are the oral arguments ongoing. Started at 10AM:

https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/live.aspx

It's the Fischer case, which could possibly free over 100 Jan 6th defendants / as well potentially drop two of Trump's DC charges.

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Dreeban has the most annoying voice so far. Dude sounds like a weasel

Gorsuch always gets to get core

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Rudy served with papers last night